A defunct Russian satellite, Resurs P1, broke apart on June 26, creating over 100 pieces of trackable debris in low Earth orbit and briefly forcing the crew of the International Space Station (ISS) to take shelter. The satellite’s disintegration adds to the growing problem of space junk, which poses risks to active satellites and crewed spacecraft.
The U.S. Space Command confirmed the break-up of Resurs P1, which was an Earth observation satellite decommissioned by Russia in 2021. The incident occurred around 12 p.m. Eastern Time and generated a debris field that led to precautionary measures on the ISS.
Nine astronauts on board the ISS moved to their docked return spacecraft for about an hour before being cleared to resume normal operations.NASA described the move as a “precautionary measure” and stated that the crew was safe throughout the incident.
U.S. Space Command reported that they are conducting routine conjunction assessments to monitor the debris and ensure the safety of other space assets. LeoLabs, a space-tracking firm, has since detected at least 180 pieces of debris from the satellite, with the number expected to rise.
The event occurred at an altitude of approximately 355 kilometers, a region heavily populated with satellites, including SpaceX’s Starlink network and China’s space station. The debris cloud is expected to pose a hazard for weeks to months.
Resurs P1, launched in June 2013, was used for various applications, including defense, emergency monitoring, and agriculture. Its break-up might have been caused by the failure to properly passivate the satellite, which involves removing residual energy sources that could lead to explosions.
As of now, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) tracks over 45,300 space objects, excluding non-trackable pieces. NASA and other space agencies continue to monitor the situation and adjust the ISS’s orbit when possible to avoid collisions.
NASA works closely with the U.S. military to track space debris and implement safety measures for the ISS. These include potential maneuvers to avoid debris and shelter-in-place procedures for astronauts in case of imminent collision threats.
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